Captured
by the-strength-in-my-scars
Summary: Up and Taz are close friends, but only friends. So what happens when Taz is captured by the robots? Will their relationship change? Please review!
1. Chapter 1

It's a bit OOC, just because Taz's accent in the show impaires a bit of the dialogue, so I cut that. Inspired by the "taz gets kidnapped, up has to save her" prompt, so that's kinda where it's going, but that won't show up for a bit.

Taz had a long memory.

She remembered how her dress pulled at her body as she was hanging upside down from the tree at her _quincenera_. She remembered feeling helpless for the first, and only thus far, time in her life. She still could smell the burning homes as the robots violently killed everyone she knew. She could still picture what the Ranger looked like as he cut her down.

Taz thrashed around in bed, the nightmare that over took her mind returned to the events of her fifteenth birthday. She could smell and see everything perfectly as if she was still there.

"Taz, Taz, wake up," a voice interrupted, shaking her awake. She opened a sleepy eye reluctantly. The man before her resembled the man from her dreams. She groaned.

"Up, what are you doing here?"

"Time for training, come on." She groaned again and rolled over away from where Up was standing, entangling herself into the comforter so that she was cocooned.

"No, I refuse." Suddenly the bed disappeared from beneath her, replaced with a pair of strong arms around her body. Up carried her to the bathroom, depositing her in the shower and leaving her to undress and wash. She emerged after ten minutes, her short hair damp, covered in a towel. Up blushed, hoping that she didn't notice, when he saw how she wasn't wearing much. The towel only reached to halfway down her thighs and as soon as he felt the familiar stirring of desire run through his body, he looked away. It was enough to just see her like that to send electricity through his veins. She dressed in the requisite training camoflauge combat pants and combat boots, but due to her small figure, the only top that would fit her was a white tank top, which she donned. Putting in her signature red bandana, the pair headed to the cafeteria for a short pit stop before walking to the training area.

Taz and Up were always the first in the gym that the Rangers trained in and the last to leave. They were always seen together, the rumors flew but neither paid any attention to them. Taz lit up as she entered the gym, her face splitting into a grin, this was where she felt truly at home and the most comfortable. "Come on, you still owe me a rematch from yesterday!" Taz said, running toward the boxing area.

"You're going down," Up replied tauntingly, grinning cockily. The two quickly set foot onto the mat, circling each other immediately. Taz's first jab just barely grazed Up's messy brown hair. He was at least a head and shoulders taller than her, so it was a feat for her to be able to even reach his hair. But they were seasoned fighters so she was used to it. He had brought her into the Academy, rescuing her from the robots and training her to fight them. He did a one-two jab, then sweeping her legs to send her crashing to the ground. He sat down on top of her and counted,

"One, two, three, four, five-" she hammered at his body to try and get out, but she couldn't. "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" he got off of her then, extending a hand and helping her up. "Nice try." She responded by performing the same sweeping leg movement on him, sending him to the ground. Sitting down on top of him,

"Yeah, it was," she replied, glaring. Up laughed good-naturedly, his entire body shaking. "Taz, you're going to have to teach me some of those moves!" Another voice called out. The two turned to see the others Rangers filing in for training. Even though they'd all graduated from the Academy, all the Rangers on the ship still trained everyday like they were back in the Academy, with Up leading them. Taz got off of Up with a sigh, she liked it much better when they could be alone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Having fun?" a voice behind Taz mocked. She whipped around to yell a threatening comeback at whoever dared make fun of her, but then glared as she saw who it was.

"What do you want, Williams?"

"I prefer Alex, my first name, you know, the one my parents gave me?" Taz cringed at the word 'parents'. "You and the Commander seem to be having fun." Taz rolled her eyes.

"Shut the hell up Williams." "Alright everybody, listen up!" Up's authoratative voice rang throughout the room, immediately getting everyone's attention. "I want you to start with ten laps around the track, get going!" Taz shot off. She used her anger to fuel her running, her legs pounding on the red track. She led the group by far, at least three quarters of a lap between her and the next person behind her. She didn't start breathing hard until the third lap.

"Running away from your problems?" Alex said, suddenly appearing next to Taz on her seventh lap.

"No, just wanting a good workout," Taz panted. "Gotta beat those robots, the _hijos de puta_ deserve a good beating." Alex chuckled.

"Yeah, they do." He was struggling to keep up with her, Taz noticed that he was breathing much harder than she was.

"Maybe you should work out a bit more," Taz said. "Then maybe you'd be able to keep up with me!" With that she sped ahead of Alex, finished her last lap and walked over to where Up was standing. He grinned crookedly at her.

"Next time, maybe you wanna at least go a bit slower. You're making everyone else feel bad," he joked. Taz laughed.

"Good. Then maybe they'd work harder." Up laughed and shoved the smaller girl playfully. When the rest of the group finished their ten laps five minutes later, Up ordered them to do the normal set of fifty pushups, situps and crunches. They did exercises in pairs and then Up yelled out: "Alright, let's gather around the mat, it's sparring time!" That was met with a round of cheers, everyone loved to spar. Sparring in the Rangers is when two fighters fight a hand-to-hand combat fight. No rules, except: Don't kill each other. "Who wants to go first?"

"I'll go," Taz said, walking out into the middle of the mat. "Which one of you _idiotas _want to fight me?" Up looked expectantly around, seeing how each Ranger looked down at their feet. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll go." Taz grinned widely.

"Bring it on, Up!" she taunted. He chuckled and stepped onto the mat. Just like they'd done two hours before, the two circled each other like a predator in the wild circles its prey. They'd only got in a few punches when the Admiral on board, the highest ranking officer on the ship, entered the gym. He watched the two for a minute or two and then called out,

"Commander Up! I need to talk to you!" Up's attention wavered and Taz landed a good punch in the gut. "You know, if you still have your brain with you." Everyone laughed; the Admiral was known for his good sense of humor. Up groaned, knowing that Taz's punch would bruise later, but got up.

"Alright, you're done for the morning. Go eat!" he yelled at the group. They cheered and headed off to the cafeteria for lunch.


	3. Chapter 3

Since Up was with the Admiral, Taz was alone at lunch. She sighed, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her tank top as she waited in line for her food. She didn't like being away from Up, especially on the days after she had had a nightmare. Avoiding her fellow Rangers' eyes, Taz grabbed a turkey sandwich and walked to her room.

The only thing that calmed her down after such a rocky night, other than Up, was reading. Pulling out one of her favorites, _El Patito Feo_, from her mahogany bookshelf, Taz plopped down on her large bed with her lunch and began to read. Sure, she had more sophisticated, adult novels, but when Taz was feeling scared, she liked to read the old folktales. She imagined her _papá_'s voice reading the lines to her just as he had when she was young. When she was finished, she sighed, unhappy that it was over. Her left index finger was at the title page and as she went to close the book, something caught her eye. There were words scrawled on the first page in, what Taz soon realized, her _papá_'s handwriting. She'd never noticed them before.

"_A mi hija bonita, te amo._" Tears started forming in her eyes and as hard as Taz willed them to stop, soon, salty tears began falling down her cheeks. Her vision quickly became obscured and the battered book fell from her hands onto the ground below. A lump caught in her throat and she began to cry uncontrollably, her petite frame shaking. She hugged her knees to her chest. Taz heard the knock on the door but she was crying too much to go and open it.

It didn't matter; whoever was at the door opened it anyway and walked in. Taz felt two strong arms wrap around her body and then Up's familiar scent filled her nostrils. She allowed herself to lean into his hold. Up didn't try to shush her, he didn't ask why she was crying, he just held her, rubbing his hands up and down her spine to comfort her She buried her face in his chest, not caring that she was getting his shirt wet.

Once the tears finally dried up, she tilted her chin up to look at Up. He smiled reassuringly at her. Taz noticed how when he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled. She noticed how blue his eyes were, how they sparkled like sea glass. She noticed how messy his hair was. She noticed how his shirt highlighted his muscular arms.

"_No, no, you're not supposed to feel this, you idiota,"_ Taz thought. _"You don't like Up. You won't like anybody, ever. Emotions like this make you a stupid weakling, come on. No, you definitely do not like Up. Nope, not at all."_

Up leaned down and whispered,

"Come on, _mi mono pequeño_, let's go watch The Karate Kid. It'll make you feel better." Taz smiled slightly at his nickname for her. Nodding, Taz detached her arms from where they were wrapped around him and stood up. Her quarters didn't have a television like Up's, so the pair walked to his cabin. But as Taz started leaving she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her back into another, tighter hug. "It's going to be okay," was all Up whispered in her ear. He clung to her, his chin resting on her head, hoping that his words would reassure her. Nothing upset him more than to see her so sad. Up pressed his lips to her short hair before pulling away.

Taz tried to push her feelings to the back of her mind but she couldn't. She couldn't help but like him. She couldn't help but like the man who'd saved her, the man who'd trained her, the man who was always there for her. She just couldn't help it.

Spanish dictionary:

-"El Patito Feo": the Ugly Duckling

-"A mi hija bonita, te amo": To my beautiful daughter, I love you

-"Es estúpido": it's stupid

-"mi mono pequeño": my little monkey


	4. Chapter 4

"Commander Up, it's time." Up heard someone say as he was standing next to Taz in the weight room. She was laying down on one of the benches, pumping fifty pounds of iron. Looking up, he saw the Admiral standing in front of him, his face grave. "Time for what?" Taz grunted as she completed her sixty-seventh rep. Up nodded at the Admiral, who turned and walked back to his office.

"For the mission," Up replied. He could see Taz's eyes glimmering with the idea of going on an assignment. "And yes, you're going on it." He smiled as her face broke out into a wide grin, thinking that there wasn't a lovelier sight in the world than Taz's smile.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" She jumped up and they walked into the big conference room that was used to plan missions.

"Commander, Lieutenant, there you are," Lieutenant Avery said, relief flooding into his voice as he looked up. "The meeting's about to start." Up and Taz slipped into two of the black plastic chairs that had replaced the comfortable swivel chairs due to budget cuts and had been set up around the conference table.

The Admiral stood up, his face set in a grimace.

"Alright, let's get started. There's a situation that's developed on the Ewali planet. We've gathered intelligence that says that the robots have now captured the capital city of Malvoah and are torturing our operatives there for information. The mission is simple: go into Malvoah and re-take the city. This is going to require a lot of soldiers, so it's important that all the squad leaders are well informed. Commanders, please come up here to get your assignments and gather your squad to delegate. That's all." Up stood up and joined the other four Commanders that had come aboard from nearby ships to receive their assignments. Taz, along with the fifty-four other Rangers that were aboard their ship, the _Voyager_, stood over to the side and waited for Up to deliver their orders.

"Okay guys, listen up!" Up yelled at his squad, silence immediately falling over the large crowd. "This is not going to be an easy mission," he continued, "but I think we can do this. You guys are some of the toughest sons of bitches I've ever seen and I'm confident that you'll be able to get the job done. Okay, so we're going to split up into pods and" -he showed them a map of Malvoah with x's marked on it- "attack these eight locations. Go get your gear and we'll meet in the common room in twenty minutes where I'll assign group leaders. Go!" The group scattered as the Rangers rushed off to their cabins to grab their gear. Taz was buzzing, the blood beginning to pump throughout her ears. When they met again in the common room, Taz could feel the tension and the anticipation in the air. Each Ranger looked the same, their black zapper flung over their shoulders, a black vest strapped to everyone's chest to protect them, the same camouflauge pants and combat boots.

"Okay, here are the group assignments," Up said, reading out the groups. In Up's group was Taz, naturally, Alex, Krayonder, Specs, Tootsie and Bug. February wasn't going on the mission, since she wasn't trained to. The seven of them filed into the drop pod and the pod flew them to Ewali. As the pod descended onto Malvoah, Up turned to Taz. The other five Rangers were busy checking their equipment to make sure it worked and weren't listening.

"Don't be a hero out there, Taz." his blue eyes were soft and concerned, his scarred face worried. "Just make sure that you come back to us." he swallowed and said, for the first time, what he really wanted to. "Back to me." Taz normally hated how Up worried over her, but she understood that they were each other's only family and that he needed her. She nodded, her eyes locked with Up's, unable to move.

"I will," she whispered. They looked at each other for what seemed like hours, their eyes saying what their stubborn lips wouldn't.

"And drop down in one minute," the loudspeaker yelled. Taz broke the gaze, looking down and readjusting her zapper, her face red.

"Alright, team," Up said, turning to the group. "I'm eyeball, so listen over your communicators to hear what's going on. Don't be stupid out there. Only take a risk if you know that backup is close." He looked into each pair of eyes, "I want to see all of your faces back here at seventeen hundred hours." They nodded solemnly.

"Drop down in five...four...three...two," the loudspeaker crackled overhead. "One!" The doors opened and the Rangers stepped out onto the alien planet.

They moved as a cohesive unit. Their pod had been assigned to infiltrate and take down a two block radius, going building by building until all the robots were eliminated. Each Ranger would be paired with another to take down a building. They'd completed the first block and were halfway done with the second by four in the afternoon. Alex had claimed Taz before Up could say anything, so the two of them were partners.

They were on the third and final story of a building on the second block, when they were hit by a group of ten robots. Alex pulled Taz down behind the corner and they took cover. They took turns shooting at the robots, but it was no use.

"Stop, you puny humans!" a robot yelled.

"I'm going out," Taz said to Alex.

"No, you can't, they'll kill you!" he argued. But it was no use; she started to get up anyway. He pulled her back down, looking at her square in the eye. "Don't do this." She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. "If not for yourself, then for me." She shook her head no. "Fine. Then for Up." Her eyelids fluttered, the words having an impact. "I can't." She stood up and before Alex could stop her, she'd run toward the robots, shooting madly. When Alex finally stood up, he saw the robots retreat, Taz in one of the robots' arms. His stomach dropped and he immediately wanted to throw up. Knowing what he had to do, he sprinted from the building back to the drop pod.

Up was pleased that each of the Rangers had made it back to the drop pod, though nervous that Alex and Taz hadn't yet. He was so worried about her, the only thing that helped him was pacing up and down the pod. Finally, he saw Alex sprinting toward the pod.

"Where's Taz, Williams?" Up struggled to keep his voice even. Alex was breathing heavily, his face beet red and his body shaking.

"They took her, Up. They took Taz."


	5. Chapter 5

It was as though Alex had announced that the world was going to end in five seconds. Taz was the only thing that Up had left. He didn't trust anybody else like he trusted Taz; he wasn't able to be completely himself with anyone else. It wasn't just that his stomach dropped, that he felt his heart about to explode from his chest, that there was a ringing in his ears, that he felt like he was about to pass out but it was also that this woman was the love of his life. He'd never loved anyone like he loved Taz.

"What did you say, Ensign?" Up growled in a low voice. Alex's face was completely white, knowing that he was most likely going to die for having not saved Taz.

"The robots took Lieutenant Taz, sir. We were ambushed on the top level of a building and she ran toward them in order to shoot better and t-they took her."

"Krayonder," Up yelled over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off of Alex, "radio into HQ and tell them that Lieutenant Taz is MIA. We have to return to the _Voyager._ We need to start formulating a rescue mission. Now. The rest of you, I want this drop pod at the Voyager in five minutes. I don't care how you do it, make it happen." Up was eerily calm, not having imploded yet but it was quite clear that he was angry beyond belief.

Once the rest of the Rangers had disappeared to go complete their various assigned tasks, Up stepped closer to Alex. "I trusted you with her," he continued in the low voice, "I trusted you to make sure that she came back to us alive and you failed. I assure you that's not a mistake I will repeat. Now I'm not going to kill you, or at least not right now. That's only because I need your eyewitness account of what happened. But if she is not found alive, you're gonna wanna go crawling back to the robots. They'll be kinder than I will. Understood, Williams?" Alex nodded shakily. "Now get your ass into the control room and help the other Rangers get back to the _Voyager_." Alex sprinted off.

Finally alone, Up dropped down into the nearest chair. His head was spinning, he could barely think straight, his lunch felt like it was going to come back up at anytime and his heart felt like it wasn't beating anymore. Taz had been taken. She was gone. Up felt a flood of emotions enter his thoughts. He felt hurt, upset, angry and sad all at the same time. But most of all, he felt that a huge part of him was missing. Taz was the woman that he was in love with, she was his best friend, the only family he had and the only person that he felt completely comfortable with.

A salty tear slid down his face and landed on his dry lips. The tears cascaded quickly down his face. After Up had been crying for three minutes, he dried his tears and then stood up, his fists clenched. He would find Taz, he thought stubbornly, and then he would tell her how he felt about her. With this new resolve, Up walked swiftly into the control room.


	6. Chapter 6

"Why are we not at the_ Voyager_ already?" Up demanded harshly when he walked into the control room. Only Specs was brave enough to look at Up in the eye.

"Sir, the amount of force it would take to reach the command ship at the time you want is astronomical," she said, her voice getting higher at the end of her sentence. She pushed her huge, round glasses up her nose nervously.

"I don't care, Specs. I want to be there in three minutes. Do what you have to do." With that, Up spun on the heel of his boot and headed back to the main cabin, securing his belt and shoulder clips that held all of his important objects over his brawny body. His fingers shook violently and it took a few deep breaths before he could buckle every strap.

"Commander Up, we'll be docking at the _Voyager _in two minutes, I've figured out-" Up silenced Specs. His patience was growing thin and he didn't have time for long winded explanations. But he was grateful for Specs' hard work, so he decided to reward her.

"I don't care how you did it, but good job. Make sure that you're in the conference room when we're coming up with a rescue mission, Specs, we're going to need you." Up could see that his words had an effect on her; Specs' cheeks turned a rosy shade and then she stumbled off, clearly shocked. Up felt a slight lurch of the pod as it docked in the ship. The doors opened moments later, Up rushed out and into the conference room.

The Admiral had never seen Up as upset as he was at that moment. From the moment that the Commander had entered the room, his eyes wild and his motions frenzied, the Admiral knew that this was not going to be an ordinary rescue attempt.

"Admiral, I need all the resources you can spare and an army of Rangers," Up demanded. The Admiral looked his Commander squarely in the eye, studying the soldier for a moment and then turned to the ship's second in command, Lieutenant Avery.

"Lieutenant, please brief the Commander's team on our ideas thus far. I need to have a word with Commander Up." The lanky Lieutenant nodded and Up frowned, but went along as the Admiral took him back to his office.

"Up, I know that this is hard for you-" the Admiral began.

"With all due respect sir, you don't know a damn thing about what this is like for me." Now it was the Admiral's turn to frown.

"I do, Up. Your love for Taz was a secret only to her, don't think that the rest of us didn't know about it." Up's ears burned, chagrin washing throughout his body. He didn't think that it was so obvious. "Oh don't look so surprised, soldier. She might have been blind but the rest of us saw the way you looked at her. So yes, I know that this is hard for you. But you're going to have to pull yourself together, Commander." The Admiral sounded fatherly. "You're a Starship Ranger and you're going to get this job done. But only if you pull yourself together. Now get back in there and show all those Rangers what a true Commander acts like!" Up took five deep breaths and thought about what the Admiral had said. Finally, he nodded and stood up.

"You're right." The Admiral smiled somberly and the pair walked back to the conference room, Up's resolve bigger than ever. *****************************************************************************

Taz's mouth filled with blood as the robot's hand slapped across her worn face. It throbbed intensely, as did the metal chains that tied her hands, feet and body to the cold chair.

"Tell us where the information is kept, hu-mahn." The look that Taz gave her captor was harsh and unforgiving.

"You might want to give up now, you _hijo de puta_, I'll never tell you where it is." The monotone laugh of the robot filled the room.

"You will. Soon. Goodnight, you puny hu-mahn. I'll be back in the morning." The robot left and Taz was all alone. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, exhausted from the torture that she had been subjected to for the past three months.

The night was frigid and Taz did the only thing she could to take her mind off of her impending death: she thought of Up. She thought of his beautiful, sea glass blue eyes. His messy brown hair that begged her to run her fingers through it. His arms that had so often wrapped themselves around her small frame, making her feel protected and safe, like nothing could ever hurt her. She thought about the sense of comfort that only he could give her. How they could just sit around, watching the Karate Kid and yet she'd feel completely content.

When the pain was especially bad, like it was tonight, she imagined those arms around her again. She imagined burying her head in the crook of his neck and breathing in his intoxicating smell. She imagined laying her head down on his chest and listening to the beating of his heart. She imagined feeling his torso rise up and down, soothing her slowly into a deep sleep.

Tonight Taz's memories took her back to Up, back to his arms, and they lulled her softly to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

"Lieutenant Avery, can you brief me on what we have so far?" Up asked when he walked back into the room. He'd said the same thing for five months now. Every day that he spent without Taz was foreign and uncomfortable. He felt weirdly exposed and broken, like he wasn't completely whole, like there was a piece of him missing. A piece of him that belonged with Taz.

"We know that the robots from Malvoah have returned to one of their main hideouts, located here." The lieutenant pointed to one of five red X's that were placed on the 3-D model of the area. He pushed a button and the computer model zoomed into the red X, a compound of cement buildings appearing before the Rangers in the humid room. "What we don't know is in which one of these four buildings the robots are keeping the Lieutenant." Specs raised her hand timidly.

"What do you have, Specs?" Up inquired.

"Sir, I believe that if we do a thermal imaging scan of the area, we can find which building Lieutenant Taz is in. The scan will show the humans who are in the compound, which is only Taz, sir." Up nodded.

"Do it, Specs." He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling weary and exhausted. He hadn't had a full night's sleep in five months.

"Yes sir." Food was shoved in front of Up and he began to eat mechanically. He didn't do much of anything these days other than look for ways to find Taz, but every so often, somebody would make him eat a plate of food so he didn't pass out.

"The scans are up and ready, Commander," Specs said. Up jumped to his feet and looked at the model in front of him. In addition to the grey of the cement buildings that made up the model, there was a shining spot of orange in a corner of one of the buildings.

"Specs, that orange spot over there, is that...?" He couldn't bring himself to say it. Suddenly his mouth felt dry.

"Yes sir. That is the one human being in the compound." Specs smiled and beamed at him. "If our intelligence is right, that is Lieutenant Taz."

Suddenly, the reality of finding her came crashing down on Up. He'd found her. _He'd found her._ His chest tightened and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. He smiled at Specs, the first real smile in five months.

"Thank you, Specs." He looked expectantly at the Admiral.

"Admiral, requesting permission to organize a team and a rescue mission to leave in one hour." The Admiral grinned at his soldier, knowing just how much this meant to him.

"Permission granted." His smile softened. "Bring our girl home, Up. We need her."

After debriefing the team, Up rushed off to his cabin to grab his zapper and his clips that he used to keep it in place on his back. His hands were trembling as he walked. Clenching them in an attempt to stop the shaking, he found himself longing to touch Taz's hair. The blunt cut that he was used to appeared choppy, but was incredibly soft to the touch. He longed to trace the contours of her face, to run his fingertips over her silky cheekbones and smooth skin. While her hands were calloused like his and her body contained almost as many scars, her face was unblemished, a glowing beacon of light. He longed to see her smile again, to hear her laugh again and watch her eyes dance as she did.

His head swam with the thought of seeing her again. Closing his eyes and taking breaths so deep that his chest rose several inches, Commander Up collected himself. He hadn't gotten Taz yet and he needed his head clear so that this mission went well. Opening his eyes only after his mind was at peace, Up walked briskly to the drop pod.

Standing aboard the drop pod, watching as his team did some last minute prepping was an odd experience for Up. His usually calm demeanor before a mission was gone, replaced with fear. His brain had turned to his deepest fears. What if Taz was dead, and that image he saw on the model was her body? What if she was alive, but the robots had tortured her so badly that she had broken? What if-?

"Drop down in thirty seconds," the mechanical voice interrupted his thoughts and Up was grateful for the distraction. When he went to those dark places, it wasn't easy for him to come back. His team surrounded him and waited for the pre-mission speech that he usually gave. He turned to them.

"I don't think I need to remind you what's at stake here. Don't be stupid. Let's get in there, get," his mouth dried up and he had to swallow before saying her name, "Taz and get out of there. Time to get the job done, Rangers." They nodded solemnly and Up turned around to face the exit.

Jumping off of the drop pod, Up and his team invaded the compound in search of their friend.


	8. Chapter 8

There she was. Her hair had grown in the months that she'd been gone; the tips of her bangs were touching her soft eyelids. That's when Up noticed the array of new scars that littered her body. The gashes across her cheek, forehead, arms and neck. The myriad of black, blue and purple bruises that displayed her strength and resistance. He knew that beneath her tattered white tank top and combat pants lay even more. It instantly made him want to kill every robot that he could lay his hands on for hurting Taz. Swiftly, he gathered her unconscious body in his arms and ran quickly back to the drop pod, where the rest of the rescue team was waiting.

The first thing that Taz noticed as she opened her eyes was a white ceiling. Confusion entered her mind. The fact that she was no longer in the robots' holding room was clear. Sitting up slowly, she took in the rest of the room. She was in a room in the medical wing of the _Voyager;_ the sterile, white walls that she had seen before surrounded her.

"Lieutenant Taz, you're awake! Wonderful," a voice said in front of her. Taz turned her head and acknowledged the woman who was dressed in a medic's uniform.

"How are you feeling?" Taz shrugged, she didn't feel like talking. The nurse went through the usual questions; asking if anything hurt, how her head was doing, if she was nauseous. It was an hour before the nurse left; her exit giving Taz a much needed sense of relief. She didn't feel like being with anyone right now.

After a series of tests and scans, the nurse re-entered the room. "Well, Lieutenant, it looks like you can be discharged. Here's a prescription for some pain medication, you can have it filled at the pharmacy in the lobby. And here is a fresh uniform," she said. The nurse handed Taz a piece of paper, a bundle of clothes and left her.

Having changed into the fresh uniform, Taz felt grimy. The clean clothes scratched against her filthy skin. She knew that a shower was in order so she headed to her cabin. The warm water felt incredible pelting against her skin. The new scars that she'd acquired during her time with the robots were deep and ugly, but Taz couldn't help but like them. They showed that despite the robots' best efforts, she'd survived. They were her battle scars and she loved them.

After drying off and putting on her undergarments, Taz pulled on one of Up's shirts. He'd given it to her the first day she met him. Her beautiful quinceanera dress had been destroyed by the robots and Up had handed her his shirt so that she wouldn't look like a mess. It was the first act of kindness he'd showed to her and she kept the shirt as a reminder of that.

She was swimming in it. The sleeves reached her forearms and the hem went to her mid-thigh. It was her favorite shirt. Pulling out a book from her shelf, Taz plopped down on her bed and began reading.

Three chapters later, there was an urgent knock. Wondering who it was, Taz wandered over to the door and opened it. Her stomach dropped and her heart raced when she saw who it was.

"I heard you were out of the hospital," the low, masculine voice said.

"Yeah, they released me this morning." Taz felt awkward standing there and nervously fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.

"Well, can I come in?" The familiar smirk returned to his lips and she grinned back.

"Sure." Taz stepped aside and let him in. As soon as the door had closed, he had enveloped her in a giant hug.

"I missed you, _mi querida_," Up said in her ear.

"I missed you too, Up." Taz had never felt safer than she did right then. She tightened her arms around his body, never wanting to let go. They stood like that for over five minutes. Then Taz pulled back with a grin on her face, her arms still around him. "Want to watch the Karate Kid with me?" He grinned broadly back at her.

"Let's do it."

Detaching herself from him, Taz walked over to the small black television that was placed in front of her deep black couch and put the movie in. Up had already plopped down onto the soft plush and soon Taz joined him. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, making her lean into him so that her head was on his chest. After the movie had been going for a while, Taz lifted her chin up to look at her friend. She studied his face, eyes roving over the indented scars and stopping for a few moments to look at his eyes. When he finally noticed that she was staring at him, Up looked down and smile, running his fingertips lightly over her skin. She felt her face become warmer, her stomach tighten and flip over. Closing her eyes and leaning into his touch, she relished the feeling. Everywhere his fingers touched burned and when she finally opened her eyes again, she could feel the electricity running between them. His eyes captured her own and Taz found herself unable to look away from his mesmerizing eyes. Suddenly, a bang was loudly heard from the forgotten television screen and the two jumped apart, Up's hand falling reluctantly from her face.

"Y-you should probably be going," Taz said, slightly embarrassed by her feelings. Part of her was ashamed of wanting him, of wanting anybody. The other part was ecstatic, wanting nothing more than to stay in his arms forever.

"Yeah, it is getting late," Up replied, not sounding happy to leave at all. He stood up and she followed him to the door. She felt her chest tighten when he turned around again, the uncertainty of what he would do next fueling her excitement. Soon she found herself being swept up in an engulfing hug. "I really missed you, Taz," Up murmured in a soft voice. "More than you'll ever know." She smiled against his chest.

"I missed you too, Up." He pulled back after another minute or so, wanting nothing more than to stay by her side for the rest of their lives. She grinned and shoved him toward the door playfully.

"Now get your butt back to your cabin before you get in trouble, you _idiota_." He grinned back; he'd missed her playful antics.

"One of the perks of being a Commander is that I can do whatever I want. But don't worry your pretty little head about it, we all know that I'm faster than you." Her jaw fell open at his teasing.

"Sure. I think we should get you to _el hospital_, because you're delusional, Up!" The two of them laughed.

"Goodnight, Taz." He smiled softly at her.

"Goodnight, Up." She smiled back. He wanted nothing more than to stay there the rest of the night, but he forced his legs to turn around and leave.

She'd been wearing his shirt. That was the first thing that Up had noticed when she opened the door. His old, tattered shirt was hanging off of her lithe body. It was huge on her, but the hem was short enough that Up had seen Taz's thighs. As small and muscular as they were, they still aroused a feeling of desire in his stomach.

Her hair was washed and her scars had faded somewhat. But she was still Taz. She knew who he was and when she'd hugged him, her warmth pressed up against his and her familiar smell in his nostrils, he felt more at home and comfortable than he had in five months. She was back where she belonged, at home in the starship, but more at home in his arms.

Every memory that he'd had of her these past long months hadn't done her justice. Her beauty was more astonishing than ever, her hair overgrown and her skin aglow. He'd forgotten how easily he could lose himself in her eyes. He'd forgotten how her body fit perfectly against his, like a puzzle. He'd forgotten how intoxicating her smell was. He'd forgotten how calm she made him feel. He'd forgotten what it was like to be with her.

That was a mistake that he intended to never make again. She was his everything and he never wanted to let her go again.


	9. Chapter 9

Taz couldn't sleep that night. She spent over four hours trying to, but she couldn't. Her mind was filled with thoughts of a tall, mustached man.

"Do I like him?" she thought as time wore on. "Am I just lonely? Did the robots mess me up so badly that I'm starting to go _loca_?"

"The robots. If Up and I, if we...get together, then they can use that against us. They can use it to destroy us, to make us weak. Oh _polvo_. We-we can't..." Taz thought sadly. The lump in her throat intensified and she felt a burning behind her eyes. "No, Taz, you don't _llanto_. Stop it, you wuss. You're just as bad as those _idiotas _back on Earth. Oh, are you going to start prancing around in a frilly pink dress too?" she berated herself silently. "No. You're tougher than that. You're the best damn Ranger the G.L.E.E has seen in years. It's time to start acting like it!" With that last thought, Taz quickly fell asleep.

Up couldn't sleep that night. He spent over four hours trying to, but he couldn't. All he could think about was Taz.

He couldn't stop thinking about the way she'd looked in his shirt. He couldn't stop thinking about her smell and her warmth. He couldn't stop grinning. Everything about her made him smile. He loved the way she bit her lip when she was confused or trying to make a decision. He loved how beautiful she was.

"I love her," he thought and a wide, goofy grin appeared on his face. "I _love_ her," he whispered out loud. "I love Taz. I love her," he repeated the phrase over and over again, loving the way it tasted on his tongue, how natural it felt in his mouth.

And the way that she'd looked at him tonight, like there was a chance that she could possibly feel the same way. That look gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, she loved him too.

With a serene look on his face, Up turned over in his bed and quickly fell asleep.

Up felt rejuvenated the next morning. He walked with a bounce in his step to the mess hall, a pounding in his chest from anticipation of seeing her.

He could feel himself bouncing his knee as he sat and ate, his nervous tic. His eyes searched the mess over and over again, hoping to connect blue with warm brown. But they never did. Taz wasn't there in the cafeteria that morning, but that wasn't entirely uncommon. Sometimes she would get up before him, grab a quick breakfast and then head immediately to the gym.

His spirits dampened, but not gone, Up headed to the training center.

Taz felt trapped the next morning. She felt exhausted, depressed, weighted down by her revelation. She knew that there was no way that she and Up could ever be together, even if she wanted it.

She skipped the mess hall that morning, knowing that he would be there, waiting for her. Instead, she walked quickly to the gym and started running around the track, sprinting faster than she had in a long time. Taz didn't know who or what she was running from, but she did know that she needed a good run.

It didn't help at all.

Her spirits in even worse shape than they had been, Taz continued to run on the brick red track.

"Hey, Taz!" she heard a voice call out to her. She slowed her pace a little bit, glancing over her shoulder to see who it was. By then the person that the voice belonged to had caught up with her. "I haven't seen you since you were in the hospital. Granted, you were unconscious at the time. You look great!" Alex complimented, running alongside her.

"I'm not in the mood, Williams," she panted.

"But here I was glad that I saved your life so we could spend more time together!" Alex said, grinning.

"U-Up saved my life, _idiota._ You were the stupid bastard who got me captured in the first place!" she retorted, her heart sinking as she said Up's name.

"But who told him where to find you? Me!" Alex tried. She turned to him slightly and raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"Actually, that was Specs." Alex grimaced ruefully.

"Well you can't blame a guy for trying." They ran silently for a few moments before he said, "Well I _did_ tell them that you were missing, at least. That gave them a huge head start on finding the robots! If it hadn't been for me, you probably wouldn't have been found." He grinned at her.

"Sure, Williams. You keep thinking that," Taz said. After another couple of minutes, Taz saw the empty boxing ring and a smile spread onto her face. "Hey Williams, care to have a go in the ring?"

His smile was all she needed to know his answer.

Up's smile faltered a bit when he saw who Taz was fighting in the ring. She had Ensign Williams in a headlock on the mat, grinning wildly.

"Hey Taz!" Up called out to her. She looked up and smiled at him, but Up couldn't help noticing how the smile didn't reach her eyes. "How about you give the poor guy a break and have a go with me?" She laughed.

"Okay, Up. But prepare to be beaten."

While they were fighting, he couldn't stop looking at her skin, her eyes, her hair, the way sweat beaded on her nose and upper lip. He was transported back to that night on the couch, her soft skin under his fingertips. He'd never felt something so soft before in his life.

He was so distracted that Taz landed three painful punches before Up was transported back to the ring. After she pinned him down on the mat with her small hands on his forearms (in Up's defense, Taz had been lifting weights), Taz laughed and grinned. It instantly became Up's favorite image in the world.

He didn't get long to admire her smile before a Lieutenant came rushing in.

"We need all available personnel in the conference room immediately, there's a situation developing," he panted. Taz jumped up and walked quickly out of the gym, the rest of the Rangers at her heels.


	10. Chapter 10

The conference room was in complete disarray. It was as though a mountain of paper had thrown up on the table; files littered every inch of the mahogany tabletop. The Rangers themselves were doing a myriad of different things: a few were on communicator conversations with tactical advisors aboard other ships, five more were intently inspecting a map and discussing heatedly the next option and the other ten people were examining files as if answers would jump out from the off-white pages. It was chaos, and Up couldn't stand it.

"ENOUGH!" he roared. Every person in the room stopped what they were doing and looked to him. "I am still the Commander here, so somebody tell me what the hell is going on! And this is a tactical mission, not a kindergarten room, so I still expect order here! Or I'll have you all written up. Now someone, anyone, tell me what the hell is going on here." No one moved; they didn't dare try to talk to the Commander when he was angry like this.

"Are you all deaf? You heard the Commander, MOVE!" Taz yelled. At her words, the Rangers flinched and returned to work. Up flashed her a small smile and she felt the corners of her lips turn up in response.

"Lieutenant Avery, what do you have for me?" Up asked one of the nearby Lieutenants. Avery's face was flushed with a mixture of fear, anxiety and panic; his hands were shaking almost imperceptibly.

"Sir, the robots have attacked the starship _Juliet_. They've taken the ship hostage." Up frowned. A young ensign looked at the Commander.

"Why there?" he asked Up tentatively.

"_Juliet_'s a supply ship, Wright. It takes food and weapons that have been made on Earth and delivers them to starships around the galaxy." Up turned to the lieutenant. "Avery, what are they demanding?"

"They want us to relinquish our hold on three planets sir: Terra, Fornot and Hida." Up pressed his lips together. Those three planets were located close to Earth. If the robots took control, Earth would be in immediate danger. His eyes narrowed in anger.

"We're not going to give the robots those planets. I want to see five strategies to regain _Juliet _within the next hour, understood?" the Rangers nodded, "Good. Let's get to work," Up said, grimacing and sitting down in the nearest chair, opening one of the manila files.

"Alright, lets run through the plan one more time, okay?" Up said. A groan was heard throughout the room.

"Up, we've already been over this plan five times already," Taz complained. They all knew that she was the only one who could talk to him when he was like this.

"And we're going to do it a sixth time," Up replied through clenched teeth. Taz sighed and sat back in her chair.

"Alright, let's go over it again," she conceded.

"Okay. Evans, what's the first thing that happens?" Up addressed the young Ensign that was seated halfway down the table. He liked to make sure that everyone was called upon in order to ensure that this was a teaching opportunity for the young soldiers.

"The Rangers from _The Setting Sun, _the _Crowley_ and the _Mockingbird_ will be deployed onto the _Juliet_," the Ensign stammered.

"Good. Lieutenant Anderson, why isn't this ship going?" Up asked his next victim.

"We aren't as close to the _Juliet_ as they are," the answer came.

"Private Douglass, what happens next?" Up asked.

"The Rangers will then divide and conquer," the Private said quietly.

"Which means what, Private?"

"The pre-assigned groups will be given an area to take over. After they do this, they will systematically head to the center of the starship, where the robots' holding is," Private Douglass replied.

"Good. And what happens once they reach the center of the ship, Lieutenant Lee?" Up demanded.

"They will take back the ship, Commander," was the reply.

"Excellent. Lieutenant Avery, give the orders to the nearby ships. It's time to take back what's ours," Up said steadily. The Lieutenant nodded and rushed over to the main communicator. Up slumped back into his chair. There was nothing to do now but sit and wait.

_Briiingg! Briinngg! Briiingg!_

The ringing of the communicator reawakened the Rangers who'd gathered around the mahogany table. Lieutenant Avery, as the head of communication, answered the call.

"Hello? Yes, this is...what happened?" his face blanched considerably, "I'll tell the Commander. Thank you, sir." Avery hung up.

"Well, Avery? How did the mission go?" Up demanded, his heart beating rapidly.

"The mission was not a success," Avery replied, his face pale. Up inhaled a deep breath that puffed his chest out several inches. Rangers swore under their breaths around the room.

"How many are dead?"

"All of them, sir," the lieutenant replied, a flicker of sadness in his eyes. Up pressed his lips together in a thin line and time seemed to halt as he swiveled around in his chair and stormed out of the room in a fury. Taz followed him with quiet, purposeful footsteps.

It took her a minute and thirty-six seconds to find him. He was hunched over, facing the beige walls with his fists clenched. He looked so broken.

"No," Taz told herself, "you cannot break down right now. Besides, you're just friends with Up. He needs you right now; don't fall apart on him." She squared her shoulders.

"Damn it," Up muttered to himself, then loudly yelled, "DAMN IT!" He punched the wall, not even flinching from the pain.

"It wasn't your fault, Up," Taz attempted.

"No!" Up yelled, spinning around to face her. She was taken aback by the glare of anger in his eyes. He never yelled at her, never. "Don't you dare say that! I was the Commander here, they died on MY orders." He shook his head, his entire body shaking from anger.

"Hey, _mirame,_" Taz said softly. He lifted his blue eyes to meet her warm brown ones. "You can't blame yourself for this. It's the _estupido _robots, Up. They're to blame." She inched closer to him, hesitating slightly and then putting her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "You did the best you could. You can't help what happened." Up didn't agree with what she said, but he didn't argue either. He simply leaned down and wrapped his arms tightly around her, as if her body would be enough to bring him comfort.


	11. Chapter 11

Up's back ached. He'd been sitting in the same position, hunched over a glass of vodka in the ship's bar, for over three hours. Images flashed through his mind as he swirled the plastic straw around the glass. The hopeful Rangers checking their equipment before they sent out to rescue the Juliet. Their smiles fading as they took in the robot's forces. The men fumbling to reach the zappers that were secured around their shoulders, their reflexes not fast enough. Flashes of red lights that signified their deaths.

The images were on a loop, running again and again and again.

"No more," Up thought.

He secured his grasp around the glass and downed it in one gulp. "Hey boy!" he yelled to the bartender, "Give me a shot of whiskey." The young man nodded and poured the whiskey into Up's glass. "I'm not nearly drunk enough," Up muttered.

"Hey, Avery, have you seen the Commander?" Taz asked the lieutenant in the conference room.

"No, I haven't seen him since we got the news about the Juliet." "Mierda," Taz swore. "How's he doing?" Avery asked hesitantly. Taz looked at the lieutenant for the first time. She noticed his disheveled hair, the deep purple bags under his eyes. She looked at him jadedly.

"Yeah, me too," the lieutenant replied, getting the silent message. "

Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." She nodded and turned back into the hallway, determined to search everywhere to find Up. *****************************************************************************

It had taken Taz a few more interrogations of the ship's staff to learn where Up was. She sprinted toward the bar, wrenching the door open when she reached it. Scanning the room, she found him sitting with a group of men who looked extremely intoxicated. Frowning, Taz walked over to him.

"Taz!" Up yelled as he saw her, spilling his drink all over the man next to him. Taz's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing, Up?" she asked.

"Well t-the boyyyss and I weeeerrreee juust taaalking aboout alllll theee loooveely girrrlls ooonn theee ship," Up slurred.

"But now that the old lady's showed up, I guess you can't do that anymore, right Up?" the lieutenant next to Up guffawed, elbowing Up in the ribs and the pair laughed.

"Up, you've had too much to drink. I'll get you back to your cabin. Let's go."

"B-but I'm havvving sooo much fuuuunn with my buddies heeerrreee," Up replied stubbornly, reminding Taz of a young child who didn't want to go to bed. She glared at him, her jaw set and her teeth grinding together.

"Now," she said. She seized Up's arm in her small fingers and dragged him off the bar stool and out of the room. ******************************************************************************

"Taaazzz, yoou'ree soooo prettttyyyy," Up slurred as she hauled him across his cabin, the majority of his body weight resting on her small frame.

"He's drunk," she whispered out loud to herself, hoping that the softly spoken words would convince her that he didn't mean anything he said right now.

"Taaazz, I havvveee too tell you a seeecrett and yooouuuu caaan't tell anyyone else," Up said.

"What is it, Up?" She hoped that by indulging him, he would go to bed sooner and they could that pretend this entire night even happened. He looked at her and she found herself unable to drag her gaze away, her eyes locked with his.

"I love you." Taz could feel her entire body tense up.

She left him after that. Taz couldn't stay in that room, not with what he said echoing in her mind. They sat the night in uncomfortable silence. It wasn't like the last time they'd watched The Karate Kid, when they were completely at ease. This was different. They were different. ****************************************************************************

She wasn't supposed to like him. She was supposed to be tough, the best damn Ranger the G.L.E.E had seen in years. She wasn't supposed to need, or want, a man. But she did. Taz had told herself that she didn't like Up. She chanted it over and over in her head, her new mantra repeating continuously. But she couldn't lie to her heart. She couldn't suppress the way her stomach flipped when she saw his clear blue eyes. She couldn't stop the way that her fingers seemed to itch whenever their hands were centimeters apart. She couldn't repress the way that her skin seemed to be on fire when he touched it, however fleetingly they were connected. She couldn't help but feel the electricity hum between them. He set her entire being alive. ****************************************************************************

He wasn't supposed to love her. He was her Commander. He was the ship's leader. He was her superior. He was older than her. But he did. He could list all the ways that they weren't supposed to be together. But then he would list all the reasons that they should be. The reasons he thought about every day, the reasons why he loved her. They were enough to risk anything for. She was enough to risk anything for.

"Lieutenant Taz, are you sure that you want to do this?" the Admiral asked the young woman sitting across from him.

"Absolutely sir. The Voyager has been my home for a long time and it's taught me so many things, but I need to move on. I want to see who I am away from this ship and...the people on it," she finished, swallowing the large lump in her throat as his image flashed through her mind.

"If you're positive. I'll send in the paperwork for reassignment to another Starship."

"Thank you, sir," Taz said, standing up and shaking his hand.

"It's been a pleasure, Lieutenant."

"Likewise, sir." Taz smiled briefly at the Admiral and then left his office.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: So sorry this is so late. I was persuaded by one of my best friends to start writing this again, so here we are. I dunno how often I'll be able to update, but for now, here it is.

This is for my Kiwi, who has made me laugh more times than I can count and who always keeps me on my toes. I love you.

It was as if someone had dropped one of the Stonehenge rocks on Up's head, he decided the next morning. He couldn't recall anything from the past night at first, but as he sat there, hunched over with his head in his hands, legs swung over the side of his bed, images and conversations began to reappear: him and the other Rangers at the bar, Taz storming in, him leaving with Taz and after that, Up couldn't remember anything. He hoped that Taz had dumped him in bed and then went back to her cabin.

Once his head had stopped hammering and his hands had ceased to shake violently, Up stood, taking a moment to make sure that his legs were steady, before he walked over to the shower. Bleary eyed, he let the hot water run over his entire body, calming his aching muscles. He dragged through his morning routine, until one particular image from last night flashed through his mind and those three words came back.

"I have to find her," he whispered to himself. Rushing out of his cabin, his uniform only halfway buttoned and the sides flapping around him, and into the cafeteria for breakfast.

Up looked over at the table that he and Taz always shared and his eyebrows creased when he saw that it was empty. Taz was always up at the crack of dawn, everyday, and normally was already eating when he got there. Nevertheless, he ate breakfast in silence at their table, expecting her to show up at any moment, checking the door every minute to see if she was there.

When she didn't show up at all for breakfast, he started to get worried, but immediately rationalized his fears by thinking that she had simply overslept.

Making his way through the familiar route to her cabin, he found his pace quickened, until he was walking hurriedly through the corridors to her room. There was something wrong, Up could feel it.

His heart was pounding against the confines of his ribs so much that he knew if he moved the wrong way, it would kill him. The knot in his throat made it hard to breathe.

Wrenching the door to her cabin open, he saw a stripped bed and empty closets. The books that had lined her shelves were absent. There was no trace of her anywhere; it was like Taz had never been there at all.

His speedwalking turned into a full blown sprint to the Admiral's office.

"Admiral, where is Lieutenant Taz?" Up immediately demanded as he came through the doorway.

"Well hello Commander, nice to see you. Yes, I slept very well, thank you so much for asking," the Admiral said ironically.

"Sorry sir. I just haven't seen the Lieutenant this morning and there's nothing in her room. Is she okay?" The Admiral's face confirmed that dark fear that had been haunting Up since Taz's absence in the cafeteria.

"Sit down, Commander." Up obeyed cautiously. "I thought that you knew, I thought that she'd told you before-" he began.

"Before what?" Up interrupted.

"Before she left this morning." Up's chest constricted so violently that he had to take a few deep breaths before saying,

"Before she _what_?"

"Before she left this morning. She's gone, Up."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'SHE'S GONE'?" He roared at the Admiral.

"She requested a transfer, Commander. She told me that she was no longer able to serve on this ship."

Up felt the rushing sensation down his chest, burning every muscle and making it impossible to breathe. His vision became hazy, his throat and mouth felt like he hadn't drunk anything in weeks and his hands started trembling violently.

"I know that this comes as a shock, Up, but…" Up tuned the Admiral's voice out. He felt like he was going to pass out.

Several months later, Taz sat in a cramped Starship on the way to discuss peace plans with the newest member of the solar system. The journey to Algalrea was exhausting. Taz's seat on the Starship was half her size, causing her limbs to contort in ways that Taz never knew they could.

Her communicator beeped, the annoying sound echoing in her ears.

"Lieutenant Taz, go to the armory and make sure that everything is in working order," the nasally voice came. It was the other Lieutenant aboard, Rhonda. There was nothing about her that Taz could stand, from her shrill voice to her snobbish attitude to her hook nose and pimply face.

"That's an Ensign's job, _Rhonda,_" Taz retorted, putting the appropriate amount of venom on the woman's name.

"Well lucky for you, the Commander asked you to do it, so you'd better get to it!" Her fake sweet voice was coming out, just as it always did when Rhonda knew she had the upper hand.

"Probably because you asked him to do it since you're sleeping with him," Taz muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Taz said quickly. "I'm going to the armory now." Shutting off her communicator, she untangled her legs from one another and set off to do the lowly task.

This is what her life was like now. On a non-combat ship stuck with snobby girls and men who didn't know which foot was their left, let alone how to shoot their zapper.

His image flooded her mind again, as it often did when she became homesick. His towering frame, the way his moustache brushed his upper lip and those eyes…

Shaking her head clear of all thoughts of Up, she walked quickly down the corridor, as if she walked fast enough, she would get away from all thoughts of him. Because she knew that if she thought about him long enough, she would regret her decision.


End file.
